The Printers preference extension allows you to create, configure, and delete TCP/IP printers by using the TCP/IP Printer preference item. Before you create a TCP/IP Printer preference item, you should review the behavior of each type of action possible with the extension.

Creating a TCP/IP Printer item

To create a new TCP/IP Printer preference item

  1. Open the Group Policy Management Console. Right-click the Group Policy object (GPO) that should contain the new preference item, and then click Edit.

  2. In the console tree under Computer Configuration or User Configuration, expand the Preferences folder, and then expand the Control Panel Settings folder.

  3. Right-click the Printers node, point to New, and select TCP/IP Printer.

  4. In the New TCP/IP Printer Properties dialog box, select an Action for Group Policy to perform. (For more information, see "Actions" in this topic.)

  5. Enter TCP/IP printer settings for Group Policy to configure or remove. (For more information, see "TCP/IP printer settings" in this topic.)

  6. Click the Common tab, configure any options, and then type your comments in the Description box. (For more information, see Configure Common Options.)

  7. Click OK. The new preference item appears in the details pane.

Actions

This type of preference item provides a choice of four actions: Create, Replace, Update, and Delete. The behavior of the preference item varies with the action selected and whether the printer connection already exists.

Create

Create a new TCP/IP printer connection. If a TCP/IP printer connection with the same IP address exists, then it does not modify it.

Delete

Remove a TCP/IP printer connection with the same IP address. The extension performs no action if the TCP/IP printer connection does not exist.

Important

This action does not remove the printer driver or port. It only removes the TCP/IP printer connection.

Replace

Delete and recreate the TCP/IP printer connection. The net result of the Replace action overwrites all existing settings associated with the TCP/IP printer connection. If the TCP/IP printer connection does not exist, then the Replace action creates a new TCP/IP printer connection.

Update

Modify a TCP/IP printer connection. The action differs from Replace in that it updates the settings defined within the preference item. All other settings remain as they were previously configured. If the TCP/IP printer connection does not exist, then the Update action creates a new TCP/IP printer connection.

TCP/IP Printer settings

IP Address or DNS name

Type the IP address of the remote printer. Or select the Use DNS name check box and type the fully qualified domain name of the remote printer.

Important

The Printers preference extension uses the TCP/IP address or the DNS Name to determine if a TCP/IP printer exists when a Local Name is not provided.
Note

IPv6 addresses are not supported.

Local Name

Type the local name of the targeted TCP/IP printer connection. The preference extension creates a new TCP/IP printer connection with this name if one does not exist. If a TCP/IP printer connection with this name exists, the preference extension uses the TCP/IP printer with this name as the target of the requested action. Press F3 to display a list of variables from which you can select.

Important

The Printers preference extension uses Local Name to determine if a TCP/IP printer exists when a Local Name is provided. Otherwise, the preference extension uses the TCP/IP address or the DNS Name to determine if the TCP/IP connection exits.

Printer path

Type a fully qualified UNC path or click Browse (…) to choose a fully qualified UNC path of a shared printer connection. The preference extension uses this shared connection as an installation source for the printer driver.

Set this printer as the default printer

Select this check box to make the local printer the default Windows printer for the current user.

Only if a local printer is not present

Select this check box to bypass changing the default printer if there is a local printer configured on the computer. This setting is unavailable until you select the Set this printer as the default printer check box.

Important

A local printer is any printer that is not connected to a shared network printer. This includes physical printers connected to parallel, serial, and USB ports, TCP/IP printers, and virtual printers installed through software.

Delete all IP printer connections

Select this check box if you want to delete all TCP/IP printer connections for the current user. This setting is available only when the preference item's action is set to Delete

Location

Type text to describe where the printer is located. This information appears in the printer's Location box. Press F3 to display a list of variables from which you can select.

Comment

Type text that provides additional comments about the printer. This information appears in the printer's Comments box. Press F3 to display a list of variables from which you can select.

Port Settings

Use the Port Settings to configure the port settings beyond the standard default settings. The available settings include Protocol, Raw Settings, LPR Settings, and SNMP Status.

Additional considerations

  • You can use item-level targeting to change the scope of preference items.

  • Preference items are available only in domain-based GPOs.

Additional references

  • Configure a Shared Printer Item
  • Regional Options Extension